1. Field of the Invention
The exemplary embodiment(s) of the present invention generally relates to musical instrument accessories. More specifically, the exemplary embodiment(s) of the present invention relates to an accessory comprising supporting straps used with musical instruments such as violins, violas, guitars, saxophones or the like.
2. Background
A principal problem for violinists/violists is that in order to play the instrument the instrument must be held entirely by friction through squeezing the instrument between the chin and shoulder. This causes a lot of tension and discomfort around the shoulder, neck and back region when holding the instrument. A solution to this problem has been reconstruction of the actual instrument to address the problem; however, this is only possible with electrical instruments and not acoustic ones because reconstruction of the instrument body affects the sound. While electrical instruments are acceptable for amplified environments, they are not appropriate for orchestral performances or any other acoustical performance. Furthermore, reconstruction is customized and cannot be used across-the-board with other instruments. It is costly and may not be suitable for novice or hobbyist musicians.
Guitarist, saxophonists or musicians that play instruments supported by a strap face similar problems in that all the weight of the instrument is centered on the neck causing significant tension and pain.
There exist tension-based techniques for supporting acoustic instruments; however, these techniques are inherently unstable and risk damaging the instrument. These techniques require at least some minimal effort from the musician to actively support the instrument. Furthermore, these techniques are not interchangeable with different kinds of instruments. Other attempts to solve the problem have resulted in weak clamping systems prone to slipping and use of multiple tools.
Accordingly, there is a need for a modular apparatus that can self-support a musical instrument with no effort by the user, is cost effective, does not affect the sound of the instrument, is interchangeable between instruments, is stable and does not damage the instrument, is easy to use and can effectively distribute weight to multiple areas of contact on the back and shoulders.